1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reserve-recording a broadcast program, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for reserve-recording a currently viewed broadcast program so that, while a user views the broadcast program, a subsequent broadcast portion of the broadcast program is reserve-recorded.
2. Related Art
Generally, when a reserve-recording function of a broadcast program is executed by using a video cassette recorder (VCR) or a television incorporated with a VCR (TVCR), a user sets reserve-recording data such as a recording start time and end time, the channel of a desired broadcast program, types of reserve-recording, for example, once-recording, daily recording, every week recording, etc., and then presses a reserve-recording button. Such a reserve-recording function requires the user to manipulate a number of keys a number of times, and can therefore be very burdensome and susceptible to mal-operations. Variations of this reserve-recording function are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,911 for Timer Reservation Recording System issued to Misawa et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,829 for Automatically Reserve-Recording And Reserve-Playing Back A Broadcasted Program issued to Yang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,357 for Method And Apparatus For Controlling A Television Program Recording Device issued to Hallenbeck, U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,793 for Method For Recording A Series Program In A Video Cassette Recorder issued to Kim, U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,102 for Display Device For Videocassette Recorder Recording Reservations issued to Hashimoto, U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,933 for Reserve-Recording Method And Apparatus For VCR issued to Kang et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,603 for Remote Control Apparatus For Recording/Playback Equipment, U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,414 to Lett et al, entitled Auxiliary Device Control For A Subscriber Terminal issued to Nagata et al.
Other simplified reserve-recording techniques, such as “G code” recording, have been proposed, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,267 for Device For Combining VCR And TV issued to Hashimoto, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,534 for Apparatus And Method For Performing Reservation-Recording Of Video Cassette Recorder issued to Park et al. Generally, the G code is expressed with Arabic numerals up to 8-digits. The G code reserve-recording method uses special codes of programs listed on a newspaper or a TV program guide. When a user notes down special codes of programs listed on a newspaper and enters the numerals of a G code corresponding to the selected program into a VCR, the VCR analyzes the numerals and provides information containing a corresponding channel, reserve-recording start time and reserve-recording end time of a desired program. Thus, reserve-recording can be executed by inputting only numerals, without requiring the user to set information necessary for reserve-recording by manipulating a number of keys a number of times. However, the newspaper or program guide must be referred to. Each broadcasting station transmits a broadcasting signal together with program identification information on a regular broadcast date, time and title with respect to a broadcasting program based on a predefined data format which is specified between broadcasting stations.
The VCR or TVCR has a function of reserve-recording a desired broadcast program and recording the reserve-recorded broadcast program using received program identification information. This function is called a video programming system (VPS) in the case of the European broadcast system and a Korean broadcast program system (KBPS) in the case of the Korean broadcast system. In the case of reserve-recording by the KBPS, the VCR extracts KBPS data contained in a received broadcast signal, pre-stores the extracted data, displays the stored KBPS data on a TV screen, and makes a user select a desired broadcast program. A basic picture viewed with the KBPS data contains a current time, name of corresponding broadcast station, and title of a broadcast program to be broadcasted according to a broadcast schedule. The VCR changes channel automatically according to the KBPS data on a broadcast program selected by the user at the time when the program is broadcasted, thereby allowing a desired broadcast program to be reserve-recorded. However, irrespective of any types of reserve-recording, all conventional techniques require the user to manipulate keys once or more than once to move a cursor on a TV screen to set the reserve-recording function. In addition, when reserve-recording a subsequent broadcast portion of the broadcast program which a user currently views, the conventional technique converts the currently viewed broadcast picture into a reserve mode picture, or into a basic picture of the KBPS data. Therefore, there has been a drawback in that the broadcast program being viewed by the user is interrupted when setting reserve-recording.